Hand-hole cover for boilers.



`W. BROWN.

HAND HOLE COVER POR BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1912.

/Z :l w71, "l" /Z Wiinee Inventor Wk i t Waller Brown WALTER BROWN, or nvANs'roN, iLLrNor S, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR B.

BIRGE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HAND-HOLE COVER FOR BOIIERS. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed July 12, 1912. Serial No. 709,018.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER BROWN, a

citizen of the United States, residing atV .specicatiom in which- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my hand hole cover plate showing the same in clamped position to close the hand hole opening in a boiler plate or the like. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in hand hole cover plates, and more particularly to the attaching or fastening means therefor, the principal object of my invention being to construct a simple, inexpensive hand hole plate composed of a minimum number of parts which may be easily and quickly clamped in position upon a boiler plate or like member having hand holes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hand hole plate and attaching means, which, when properly clamped, provides a water and steam-tight joint in a simple and expeditious manner without the necessity of employing bolts, nuts and like fastening devices.

In certain types of boilers now in general use large numbers of tubes or flues are utilized, and when it becomes necessary to clean these tubes or flues, a great deal of time and labor is involved in removing and reseating the cover plates on the hand holes formed in the sheets directly opposite the ends of the tubes and flues.

One of the principal objects of my invention is the construction of a quick-detachable clamping member for the hand hole plates by the use of which much time and labor can be saved in obtaining access to the tubes or lues to be cleaned, and the subsequent closing of the hand holes.

With the above objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement/of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, A designates a boiler plate or sheet having formed therein the usual hand hole B. The body of the hand hole closing plate, as contemplated by my invention comprises a disk 5 which is slightly larger in diameter than the hand hole opening in orderthat the edge of said disk will overlie the edge of the plate or sheet adjacent to the hand hole. Then the hand hole plate is properly applied for use a asket or packing ring 6, preferably of lead or analogous material, occupies a position between the edge of the plate and the face of the boiler sheet or plate A around the hand hole opening therein.

A central portion of the plate is preferV A ably dished, as shown, and formed integral with or fixed to the center of this dished portion is a short stud or projection 7, preferably round in cross section, and which is provided at its outer end with a pair of diametrically disposed, laterallyV projecting lugs 8, the inner or under surfaces of which are inclined, as designated by 9.

sok

The attaching and clamping member of my improved device comprises an elongated, j l

hollow shell or housing 10 provided with parallel side walls 11, and the endsof this clamping member are adapted to bear directly against the outer face of the boiler plate or sheet A.

Formed integral with or fixed to the side walls 11 of the member 10, and projecting inwardly toward each other are lugs 12, the inner faces 13 of which are inclined so as to cooperate with the inclined underfaces 9 of the lugs 8.

The cooperating bearing faces 9 and 13 are inclined so that when the clamping member 10 is partially rotated relative to the plate 5 the inclined faces 13 will bear against the corresponding faces 9, and by reason of the inclination of said faces, the parts of the device will be drawn toward each other, thereby clamping the packing ring or gasket 6 tightly between the edge of the plate 5 and the boiler plate or sheet, and thus forming an air and water-tight joint.

To close a hand hole with my improved device the disk or plate 5 is held in position upon the inner face of the boiler sheet or l plate A with the lug or projection 7 extending through the hand hole opening, and the clamping member l() is now positioned against the outer face of the boiler sheet or plate immediately over the hand hole opening and with the stud 7 and its lugs 8 loetween the central portions of the side walls 1l.

The clamping member l0 is now engaged by a suitable tool and rotated approximately a quarter of a turn, which action moves the lugs 12 into position beneath the lugs 8, and during this movement the inclined faces 9 and 13 bear directly agaiinst each other, thereby causing the two parts of the device to move toward each other, and as a result, the edge of the plate 5 is brought to bear with considerable pressure against the packing ring or gasket 6, and the ends of the member l0 are caused to bear with frictional engagement against the outerface of the plate or sheet A.

A hand hole cover plate and clamping means of my improved construction is comparatively simple, comprising as it does only two pieces, and can be very easily and quickly placed in position to close a hand hole or removed therefrom, thus effecting a substantial saving' of time and labor where it is necessary to clean out a number of boiler tubes or fines.

My improved device, being composed of only two parts and entirely devoid of attaching means such as bolts and nuts which necessitate the cutting of screw threads, can be very easily and cheaply manufactured.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved hand hole cover plate and attaching means can be made and siilbstituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. .ln combination with a plate having a hand hole, of a two-part closure therefor comprising a plate member adapted to seat on one side of said plate and having a stud projecting from said hole on the opposite side of the plate, said stud having a pair of laterally projecting lugs, and a. holloiw clamping member adapted to overlie said? ing 'a solid one-piece member having a cen- 65 vtrally arranged stud projecting therefrom.

a. pair-of oppositely arranged lugs integral with and projecting outwardly from the stud, said studl being of a length to causev the lugs to be positioned beyond and spaced from the plane of the outer face of a plate having the opening adapted to be closed by the hand hole structure, and a hollow clamping member having a pair of oppositely disposed walls, said walls having lugs integral with and projecting inwardly therefrom, said wall lugs being adapted to extend between the stud lugs and the outer face of the one-piece member and engage the inner faces of the stud lugs.

A hand hole plate structure comprising a solid one-piece member having a centrally arranged stud projecting therefrom, a pair of oppositely arranged lugs integral with and projecting outwardly from the stud, said stud being of a length to cause the lugs to be positioned beyond and spaced from the plane of the outer face of a plate having the opening adapted to be closed by the hand hole structure, and a hollow clamping member having a pair of oppositely disposed walls, said walls having lugs integrall with and projecting inwardly therefrom, said wall lugs being adapted to extend between the stud lugs and the outer face of the one-piece member and engage the inner faces of the stud lugs, the engaging faces of said lugs being relatively inclined to provide a gripping action when the clamping member is partially rotated with respect to said one-piece member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 9th day of July, 1.912.

VALTER BROWN.

litnesses M. P. SMITH, M. A. HANDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

